Old Clone Zinfandel--What Is It?

Once upon a time, around the turn of the century, 1900 that is, some early pioneer farmers planted a Zinfandel vineyard down near the D'Augustini pond in El Dorado Country. No one knows the source of their plants but they produced distinctly different grapes than many other Zinfandel vineyards in the area.

Several years ago a modern day wine making pioneer discovered this vineyard and approached the heirs of the original farmers to see if he could get some cuttings of this special Zin. They said emphatically "no". Being very disappointed he told his sister. Without telling him, his sister decided to go in person to talk to the heirs. When she arrived at the farm she found that the people were not at home. She decided to look at the vineyard in question and saw that it was dying with just a few live canes left. Being a good hearted woman, she pulled out her trusty pruners (she always carries them) and did a very good job of pruning some of the vines. It helps the vines grow better you know. Then not wanting to leave the mess she gathered up the clippings and brought them back to her farm for disposal. She told the wine making pioneer what she had done. In the dark of night he went over and salvaged about 20 buds and grafted them onto some existing Zinfandel plants. Ten of the grafts took and from those 10 plants enough buds had been obtained for 15 rows of that Old Clone planted over a hundred years ago. It turns out that the heirs of the Old Zinfandel let their whole vineyard dry up and die. Good thing the wine making pioneer's sister saved the strain with her good hearted ways!